Fate's Year
by orlykayla
Summary: This follows Rinako Matsuryu's, my OC for persona, point of view as we follow along as a p3p playthrough. All of the characters are involved.
1. 00 --- START ---

**AUTHOR NOTES:**

*follows along with the main gameplay storyline as Fem!MC.

**uses japanese honorifics in dialog: -senpai(another word for upperclassmen + used out of respect), -sensei(teacher), -chan(for peers known), -san(for peers+elders respected),etc.

***years(1999, 2012, etc.) have been omitted to keep up with the present date.

This is pretty much the prologue the actual first chapter comes after this, hence the "0.0", Anyways, I hope ya'll enjoy.

* * *

 **0.0: - START -**

" _Time never waits,_

 _it delivers all equally to the same end._

 _You, who wish to safeguard the future,_

 _however limited it may be…_

 _You will be given one year;_

 _Go forth without falter,_

 _With your heart as your guide…"_

Daydreaming in the terminal station, the image of a small blue butterfly crosses the mind of a young girl waiting for her train to arrive and take her to her new destination. An eerily large full moon has risen high in the evening sky that fateful night. Though the station was full of noise and buzzing with activity, she couldn't hear a sound outside of her red headphones.

Elsewhere, another young girl struggled for her breath. Gasping for air as she sat on the floor, leaning against her bedside. "I just… put it to my head…" she whispered to herself as a bead of sweat rolled from her blonde hairline down the side of her face, "and pull the trigger." the sound of the dripping sink in her room filled the air, the ambient noise from outside egged her on.

With a hard gulp the teen girl aimed a gun up to her forehead, "no chickening out…" She took several deep and heavy breaths before tossing the gun across the wood floor. "No… I can't!" she cried out, letting her head fall into her now free hands. She folded her legs and pulled then close to her body as if trying to keep herself whole instead of falling apart.


	2. 01 --- No Lights ---

**1.0: - No Lights -**

Inside the New City passenger train 'Anehazuru', the horn goes off briefly, snapping the girl in red headphones out of her reverie. The conductor spoke over the PA system, it was slightly muffled, "due to a malfunction in the switching system, today's rail schedule has been greatly altered. We apologize to any customers who were in a hurry. The next stop is Iwatodai…" As the announcement trailed off, the blue butterfly passed in her mind again.

A small voice over the intercom sounded as she departed the train. "This is the final train bound for Tatsumi Port Island. Please take care to board before our departure." She was already late in her arrival at the station, it was just before midnight. Before her eyes all the power in the station went out. The once pearl moon shifted to eerie green, illuminating the station. "Huh?" she gasped, startled by the silence because even her headphones shut down. Taking them off and pocketing them, she curled a loose strand of brown hair behind her right ear. The atmosphere seemed oddly heavy, making it hard to breathe.

She gave an uneasy sigh, "it's best to head to the dorm quick." She told herself, assuming this was normal for the area, as it was pretty late. As she walked out from the station the buildings were dark and looming over hundreds of standing coffins; what looked like blood dripped to the ground from them, glowing slightly at the base of them all. The city was deserted, aside from the coffins, wind blew through the alleys and buildings making a sound that moaned hauntingly. The wind whipped her hair that wasn't put up around her cheeks, she looked up to see the clouds spiral around the unusually large moon. It seemed so large and close, like she could reach up and touch it.

She hurried as fast as she could to the Gekkoukan High School - Iwatodai dormitory. The dorm that was mentioned in her pamphlet at admissions when she was being transferred. It was a large brick building, about four or five floors, with grand windows on both sides of the big double doors. Though all the lights were out, she walked inside believing it was a lot safer. She shut the door behind her just before a voice startled her, "welcome." There behind a reception desk stood a little boy, pale as the moon on a normal night, and this day was anything but normal so far.

She stepped towards him and the desk. His bright blue eyes were cold and piercing. "You're late." He spoke with a small voice. His delicate hand ran through his short dark hair; he seemed to be either tired or sickly as he was wearing black and white striped pajamas. "I've been waiting a long time." he said, as though it wasn't creepy enough that he appeared from nowhere, but he was now holding out a paper to her. He continued, "if you want to proceed, then please sign here. It's a contract." The girl was hesitant to take the paper, she looked back and forth from the paper to the boy in front of her. ' _I've seen one too many shows to believe this.'_ She thought.

"There's no need to be scared." The boy said as if reading her mind, "it only binds you to accepting full responsibility for your actions." She looked again at the paper before signing, all it said was: _I chooseth this fate of mine own free will._ Below was a blank space for a signature. ' _while I'm sure this is going to be the death of me, I would rather escape this nightmare.'_ She thought, and hoped that this child before her couldn't actually read minds. She signed her name at the bottom: Rinako Matsuryu.

Immediately after signing the contract, the young boy took it away, "very well…" he rolled up the paper slowly as he spoke. "Time is something no one can escape. It delivers us all to the same end. Wishing won't make it go away." The paper was rolled up all the way, so much so it disappeared as he said his next words. "And so it begins…" The boy melted into the darkness, disappearing from sight. ' _If I didn't know I was awake, I would think this was the strangest dream.'_ Rinako thought, being left alone in silence.

"Who's there?!" a blonde haired girl appeared from the stairwell. She wore a pink sweater and looked terrified. "How can you be… But it's…!" she stammered over her words as if her brain was working faster than her mouth could speak. "Don't tell me…" her scared look turned to a defensive glare, the girl gripped the gun at her thigh. ' _Again?! Just what kind of dorm is this?'_ Rinako thought as her green eyes widened.

"Wait!" Another girl rushed through the room, halting the blonde from raising her gun. The second girl had deep red hair that flowed over her shoulders in loose waves. "The lights…" the first girl muttered to herself as the lights flickered back on. The redhead pulled Rinako and the other one to the couches in the main living area, she was calm and maturely handling the situation compared to to the girl in the pink sweater.

"I didn't think you'd arrive so late. My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm." The mature girl said cooly. ' _Kirijo sounds awfully familiar._ ' Rinako wondered. The blonde looked to Mitsuru, "Who's she?" she referred to Rinako. "She's a transfer student. It was a last minute decision to assign her here. She'll eventually be moved to room in the normal dorm." Mitsuru replied, ' _That explains it, this isn't the normal dorm, I've entered the twilight zone._ ' The protagonist thought. The blonde kept questioning Mitsuru as if Rinako wasn't even in the room. "...Is it okay for her to be here?" she asked rather hesitantly. Mitsuru just smiled back, "I guess we'll see…"

Mitsuru finally turned towards Rinako, gesturing to the blonde, "this is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you." Yukari was extremely cautious to Rinako, she seemed disappointed when sizing up Rinako. "Hi, I'm Yukari." Rinako looked at her then to Mitsuru then back to Yukari.

She had a hard time deciding what to ask about first; the gun at Yukari's side was weighing heavily on her mind rather than making pleasantries. The two of them looked at her expectantly, waiting for a reply. "Rinako Matsuryu. Why do you have a gun?" she asked with a hint of concern, scared of what the answer could be.

Yukari was genuinely surprised by that question. "Huh? Um, well, it's sorta like a hobby…" she said, her eyes darted back and forth. Rinako wasn't buying it, though. "Well, not a hobby, but…" Yukari trailed off, her pleading gaze fell to Mitsuru calling for help. "You know how it is these days, it's for self-defense." Mitsuru interjected, "it's not a real gun, of course." Rinako was still skeptical, ' _sure, whatever you say._ ' Mitsuru seemed like she had a good intuition about the atmosphere in the room. "It's getting late, you'll find your room on the third floor. Your things should already be there. I suggest you tuck in for the night." She said with a stern look, their discussion was obviously over.

Yukari then spoke up, "oh, I'll show you the way, follow me." She led the way to the stairwell and up the stairs, leaving Mitsuru behind. Yukari explained that there were four floors to the building. The first floor had the common room by the main entry, the dining area, and the kitchen, bathrooms are provided on each floor and to each dorm room. The second floor was home to the boys' dorms, third floor belonged to the girls' dorms, and the fourth floor was restricted as was the roof. When they arrived to the third floor hallway, at the furthest door, "this is it, pretty easy to remember, huh?" Yukari said, "since it's right at the end of the hall. So, any questions?"

They stood outside of the door to Rinako's new room with that question, she had so many that needed answers, she doubted she would get any straightforward. Her thoughts drew back to the boy from earlier. He seemed too young to be a student at their high school, maybe he was a figment of her imagination. Though the contract kept coming to her mind. "I signed a contract," Rinako started to say but Yukari looked confused, "huh? Whats this about a contract?" she didn't seem to know what Rinako was talking about so she decided to drop it, "nevermind then." It seemed like a lot was weighing on her mind.

"Um, can I ask you something? On your way here from the station, was everything okay?" Yukari asked. Rinako, unsure if she should say what was on her mind. ' _You mean the coffins lining the streets and the creepy vibe, sure, never better._ ' she instead just answered "what do you mean?" Yukari looked frustrated, "You know what I-... Nevermind" she put her palm to her head and sighed, "it seems like you're alright. Well, I'd better get going." she said going towards her own dorm room. Just as she reached her door, Yukari stopped and turned to Rinako, "um, I'm sure you have other questions, but let's save them for later, okay?" Rinako just blinked at her, unresponsive. Mostly in disbelief, so much strangeness happened in one day. "Well, good night." Yukari said walking away from her own door, and back down the stairs. Rinako looked at her assigned room door and walked inside.

She flicked on the light switch and looked about her room, it was small but had the necessities. The bed was nice with a nightstand and tv at each end of it. Next to the tv was her desk, under three windows looking out over the street, with a radiator at its other side. Two shelves were on the opposite wall for her to do whatever she wished, beside them was a simple standing closet for her clothes. A sink and small refrigerator were next to the entrance door. A door beside the closet, behind the main door, led to a small personal bathroom. A calendar hung over the end table, as was a mirror over the sink. Rinako sat on the bed and took her time taking it all in.

She then walked towards the mirror, she looked tired as it was getting really late. Rinako took the barretts out of her hair before letting her dark hair down from it's clip. She undid the bow from her dress shirt and changed into some pajamas. Tomorrow will be her first day official day of school at Gekkoukan High. Rinako washed her face taking another good look at herself. Tired green eyes stared back at her, she could feel her lids get heavy. She worried if the school was just as strange as the people in her 'temporary' dorm. "You can do this," Rinako spoke to her reflection, "nothing is handed to you. Nothing is ever easy. You have to work for it." She finished her self pep talk, reassuring herself to work hard, and headed to bed.


	3. 02 --- First Day ---

**2.0: - First Day -**

The next morning, April 4th, Rinako woke up to silence before her alarm clocked chimed. She got dressed cautiously, she wanted everything to go perfectly today. She took a good look in the mirror; the vain part of her thought she looked pretty good, but was scared if other students would think differently. A loud knock at the door startled her, making her jump. "It's Yukari, are you awake?" Rinako opened the door letting her in.

"Good morning." Rinako said as Yukari entered the room. Yukari's uniform was the same except for the pink cardigan sweater over it, she looked to be in much better spirits this morning. "Good morning, did you sleep okay?" she asked. "Yeah, I slept fine." Rinako answered, Yukari looked troubled. "Mitsuru-senpai asked me to take you to school. Are you ready to go?" It seemed as though Mitsuru-senpai bothered Yukari, it bothered Rinako. Though only because she felt like she was being belittled. She was old enough to take care of herself, she didn't need a babysitter. Rinako didn't like wasting Yukari's time either, but she was ready, her hair in place and her uniform on neatly. Rinako didn't want to be rude though, "yes, I'm totally ready!" she responded with a smile. "Okay. Then let's go." Yukari said as she left the room to wait at the downstairs entrance, allowing time for Rinako to lock up her room and follow her.

Yukari lead the way to the station, it was a lot nicer during the day. They took the Anehazuru train, "we have to take the monorail to get there. Bet your last school wasn't like that, huh?" Yukari commented, somehow like she was gloating. "Nope, it wasn't." Rinako replied looking out at the water. The railway went over a stretch of water, "this is my favorite part… when it feels like you're gliding over the sea." Yukari smiled looking at the ocean with Rinako. While Rinako's thoughts went to her old school, this school was definitely something else. Her old school was on the mainland, in a valley between two mountainous hills. This new school was on island that you could only get to by train.

Yukari pointed at the end of the monorail, at it's station, "our stop is Port Island Station at the end of the line. From there we walk." Rinako enjoys walks, especially scenic ones, so it was alright with her. "Have you ever heard of Tatsumi Port Island?" Yukari asked. "Only on my way here over the speaker." Rinako replied. "Well, it's a manmade island, they built our school right in the middle. Oh, look, you can see it now!" Yukari finished as she pulled Rinako close to the window to see. To her it looked like a giant quartz crystal sticking up out of the sea, trees laden with cherry blossoms looked like cotton candy surrounding the buildings on the island. When the train arrived to the station, they then started their walk to the school. Rinako overheard conversations of the bustling student, making a resounding ambient noise. "Mornin'!" A girl called over to Yukari, "Morning!" she replied, afterwards she turned to Rinako "Well, here we are… Welcome to Gekkoukan High! You're gonna love it here!" She could tell that Yukari loved her school, and liked it better than being at the dorm. They walked together until they arrived at the shoe lockers. "You're okay from here, right? You should go see your homeroom teacher first. The Faculty Office is right over there to the left… And that concludes the tour. Do you have any questions before I go?" As much as she wanted Yukari to be on her way, she didn't like being in new environments alone, but it was almost always this way. "Yes, where's my classroom?"

"I think the class lists are over there posted on the bulletin board, but I haven't checked yet either." Yukari answered, nodding her head in the direction of a bunch of students were gathered. She looked back to Rinako rather nervously, "hey about last night… Don't tell anyone what you saw, okay?" Rinako just smiled and nodded, "my lips are sealed." One of these days Rinako will learn not to be so polite. "Okay… see ya later." Yukari said with a smile, Rinako watched her leave down one of the halls. Taking advantage of the situation, Rinako decided to talk to most of the students in the area.

She walked over to a young girl, possibly in a lower grade. She wanted to talk about the school and get to know more of the students, but her knowledge of the place she received from Yukari. "Hey, what can you tell me about where the faculty office is? I only got vague directions." Rinako asked politely. "Huh? The faculty office? The young girl looked nervous, "um… I think it's that way. Actually, I'm new here so you should probably ask someone else." she finished saying before walking away, not giving Rinako the chance to reassure the student. She didn't really need directions, any person with two good eyes could see the signs pointing the way. All Rinako wanted was some sort of companionship for her first day with someone, so she could feel like she wasn't leeching off of Yukari the whole time.

Taking the time to look around for a moment, her bright hazel eyes caught a couple of students seeming to argue. Or rather a girl scolding another student. Rinako decided to try and talk to her first, "umm… Excuse me?" she tried but couldn't exactly get a good word in. She was clearly upset. "-and hey, Kaz, why are you wearing your PE uniform!?" the angry girl interrogated the male student. The girl was pretty and tall, with tanned olive tone skin and dark hair pulled into a short ponytail. Her eyes were the color of roasted almonds and striking. "School just started! You really oughtta find somewhere to change into some normal clothes!" She continued. The boy, Kaz, just rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "Ehh, I guess," he said begrudgingly before quickly regretting it. "Okay, okay, fine. Quit glaring at me like that… Hey, where's the bulletin board with the homerooms posted?" he asked like he was trying to change the topic, he succeeded but the girl just got more frustrated with him. "It's RIGHT THERE!" she exclaimed, it was surrounded by several students so it was rather hard to miss. She heaved a sigh before continuing on her rant, though in a little softer tone of voice. "You're in class F, Kaz. I'm in a different homeroom so I can't keep an eye on you…" she gave a brief pause before sighing again, "I worry about you sometimes. Don't make me watch you all the time." To that Kaz scoffed, "who're you, my mother?"

Rinako took a step back and let the two of them continue their bickering like a married couple. ' _They should feel lucky, well, he should anyways.'_ she thought. As she walked over to the bulletin she overheard a lot of complaints from the students from "Oh great, I have the worst teacher ever…" to "Aw, we're in different class…".

Rinako looked to the opposite of the board and saw an adult, and figured he must be a teacher. He looked frustrated. "Hmph, kids these days don't know how to show respect for their elders. We're their teachers, we've lived longer than them. But Midoriyama and her gang had to pull that on me at the very beginning of the term…" The teacher was complaining to the school vendor, "I'm sorry, sir, but I have to go. It's time for me to place in my order." The vendor said as politely as possible. "Even you're shooing me away? Some way to start the school year… I don't think my nerves can take this." He said disappointed. "Alright, I get it." She said, trying to calm him down, "You want me to order those cream-filled breads you like so much, right? You could've just asked." The vendor said going back to her work, filling out the papers for her orders.

Rinako really didn't want to deal with such a troublesome teacher, so she made her way through the crowd to find out her homeroom at the bulletin board. Her eyes scanned the classroom rosters for her name. "Where is it, where is it?" She muttered to herself under her breath. She searched until she saw her name on a small note: Rinako Matsuryu - class F. Upon closer inspection she saw that Yukari was in her class as well.

Now that she knew what class she was in, Rinako went to check the faculty office. There was a lot of people in the school that she could talk to but the bell was about to ring and she needed to meet up with her homeroom teacher in the faculty office.

She slid open the door and quietly entered, there were some teachers still in there preparing for the new school semester. "Oh, are you the new student?" A female teacher stood up from her seat to greet her. The woman picked up and opened a file from her desk. "Rinako Matsuryu… 11th grade, correct?" She asked. "Yes, ma'am." Rinako nodded in reply. The teacher flipped through the papers that were in the Rinako's file, "Wow, you've lived in a lot of different places… Let's see… In… That was what, ten years ago? Your parents-" She cut herself off with a gasp before looking to her new student sympathetically. "I'm so sorry, I've been so busy I didn't have time to read this beforehand. I'm Ms. Toriumi. I teach composition, welcome to our school." Rinako let her mind wander as the teacher continued on with the niceties, she noticed that looked fairly similar to Yukari. ' _Maybe they're related somehow._ ' she thought. They had similar hair coloring and brown eyes. The teacher also wore a light peach blazer, so they might even have similar tastes in fashion. "Oh, nice to meet you!" Rinako said with a wide grin, she snapped back to the conversation in time to introduce herself.

"Such enthusiasm! We could use more go-getters like you. Have you seen the classroom assignments? You're in class 2-F; that's my class. But first we need to go to the auditorium, the welcoming ceremony will be starting soon. Please, follow me." said, taking Rinako out of the office. She was being lead by people everywhere, like a really boring game of 'follow the leader'. The Auditorium was packed with students and teachers alike, had a few seats waiting for the both of them. Rinako sat with her class waiting for the ceremony to start, and hoping for it to end quickly. She could tell that the principal was going to be a total bore.

"As you begin the new school year," He began. He was a short round man with white hair and a bushy mustache. To Rinako he looked like a penguin with glasses. "I'd like each of you to remember the proverb: If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well. When applied to student life this means…" Rinako got bored at this point and he lost her attention almost entirely, but still he continued to drone on in his speech. She was more concerned with the students surrounding her gossiping in whispers. "I heard we got a transfer student." Said one boy. "Yeah, I've seen her, too. She came to school with Yukari," said another boy with a self-satisfied smirk. Rinako couldn't help but be proud of herself for getting noticed so quickly, but questioned whether or not it was just people being busybodies. Just then a teacher she recognized from the lobby spoke up. "I hear talking." He scanned the auditorium, "I believe it's someone in Ms. Toriumi's class." glared at her class's section of students, "Shh! Be quiet! You're going to get me into trouble." She scolded them. Rinako peered around, it didn't seem like the rumor-mill would be stopping anytime soon.


	4. 03 --- New Friends ---

**3.0: - New Friends -**

The day went by fairly quickly after the ceremony. Her homeroom classroom was on the second floor of the school and it was a fairly lively class. The classroom was situated with desks in rows of two. She was seated somewhere in the middle next to a male student. When the school day was done, it was Rinako's first after-school session. She was hoping to get along with some of her classmates, Yukari was busy chatting with some other classmate.

The boy that has the seat next to her came up to her after talking with one of the guys. "'Sup, dude?" He said as some sort of greeting. Rinako just stared at him. "Haha, you look like a deer in headlights." He was probably right. He was tall and thin, had dark short hair hidden under a ball-cap. He had a fairly sharp face and a trim goatee, his eyes were gray in color but steady. Rinako contemplated calling him 'bean-pole', but settled on a nicer response. "Who're you?" She asked rather meekly. "Me?" He said, surprised, his face was kinda cute with a cheesy grin. "I'm Junpei Iori, nice to meet you." He smiled at her. "I'm Rinako Matsuryu." She replied. "I transferred here when I was in the 8th grade. I know how tough it is being the new kid." He said empathetically. Rinako almost rolled her eyes at him, sympathy or pity: she didn't want any.

Junpei continued, "So I thought I'd check up on you, make sure you weren't freaking out on your first day." She was grateful for his concern. ' _It's sweet of him to go through such lengths, but he obviously didn't get the same kind of warm welcoming I did._ ' She thought to herself, Yukari had come and sat at the desk opposite of them and sighed, slightly annoyed. "Tch, at it again, huh? Honestly, is there any girl you wouldn't hit on?" She sneered. Rinako looked between the two of them. "Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?" Yukari finished, clearly angry. "What? I was just bein' friendly." Junpei countered, Rinako agreed that he was being friendly and didn't really see any ulterior motives. "He's not bothering me, Yukari." Rinako said, trying to defuse the ticking time-bomb that was Yukari's temper on Junpei. Rinako questioned if she ever pulled a gun on him like she did last night. Yukari seemed to be easily agitated by Junpei, and thought that maybe she was jealous of the attention Rinako was receiving, but Rinako dismissed that thought.

"If you say so," Yukari finally said, "Anyway, some coincidence that we'd be in the same homeroom, huh?" Rinako noted that Yukari tended to finish with 'huh?' a lot whenever she spoke. To Rinako, being in the same class as Yukari seemed like it was planned rather than coincidence. "It took me by surprise." Yukari laughed it off nervously. "Haha, you too?" Rinako just nodded. Junpei, feeling a little ignored, decided to put in his two cents. "Um, hello? Did you forget I'm in this class too? C'mon, lemme in on the fun!" Rinako was traumatized from last night, if Yukari was a serial killer or not, she was definitely suspicious. Rinako would rather like the company of a guy around to help her. "By the way, you two know each other? I heard you two came to school together this morning. A couple of cuties like you, walking side by side… the whole class was buzzing about you," Junpei said with that same cheesy grin, which Rinako was finding to be adorable, and tried to carry the conversation forward. She was pleased to be called a 'cutie', it definitely stroked her ego.

"Ugh… Could you cut it out with that? I hate dealing with rumors like that. I mean, I'm used to it, but she just got here, you know? Don't you feel bad, spreading rumors around like that?" Yukari said with disgust. ' _Awfully full of herself, but wait what exactly is being said about me?_ ' She thought. "I'm not bothered by rumors, I'm used to it. As long as it's nothing bad, I don't pay them any mind." Rinako said in return. Yukari checked her watch, "well, I've gotta go take care of some archery team stuff. Don't try anything funny, you got that Junpei?" Yukari glared at him. "Yeah, otherwise she'll shoot you." Rinako teased, giving Yukari a wink causing her to laugh it off nervously and leave. As soon as she left, Junpei scoffed, "what is she, your nanny? Well, just to clear something up, I seriously didn't come over here to hit on you or anything." Rinako was a little disappointed at that. ' _Ouch, that stings a little._ ' she thought. "If you ever have a problem, you can tell your ol pal Junpei about it!" Rinako just smiled at him and said "Thanks, I'll remember that." She wished she had more people to count on. "Heh, cool. Well, I'll be seeing you around then." He said leaving her there to meet up with some other friends. Rinako just sat at her desk, staring out the window letting the minutes tick by. She didn't want to leave quite yet, her mind drifted for a time.

Everyone was leaving the school and the sun was just about to set. Rinako made her way out of the classroom when Junpei met up with her in the hall and persuaded her to let him walk her home to her dorm. They made their way down the steps to her shoe locker, then to his. "Whoa, check out the jocks on their run" Junpei started, pointing out the school's track team. "Hey, did anyone tell you about the school clubs yet? Girls can join too, so why not do it if you're interested?" He said, "You'd be joining as a new member though, so you won't be able to apply for a little while." Making small talk while walking. Though it was nice, Rinako felt like he was being a little too nice and could mean something more.

Junpei left her at the door, when Rinako walked inside there was a sign-in sheet on the service counter. "Welcome back." Mitsuru said. She was sitting on the couch while Yukari was at the dining table beyond the TV. She went over to Mitsuru first, to see if there was anything she could do now that it's after school, though all she had to say was that it was dangerous to go out at night. So Rinako went to see Yukari. "Oh,hi. What're you doing?" Yukari asked; "Just Looking around." Rinako replied. "There really isn't much to see…" Yukari said. It felt like there wasn't really much for her to do but go to bed since there wasn't any homework.

Later in the dormitory lounge, after Yukari had left, Mitsuru was still reading in her place on the couch. A young man entered from the stairwell, he was another student and resident at the dorm. He had light hair and was well built with what seemed to be a bandage on the corner his temple. "I'm going out for a bit." he said, walking to the door. "Hm?" Mitsuru looked up from her book at him. "Have you seen the newspapers lately?" He looked back at her. She sighed, frustrated. "I know . People who had no problems before are suddenly developing acute cases of Apathy Syndrome. I've seen it in the news quite often lately, they say it's due to stress but…" Her voice trailed off, looking rather unsure. "Yeah, right. It has to be _them_." The young man said getting closer to the front door. He was smug and confident, "Otherwise it's not worth my time." Mitsuru just shrugged, "You have a one-track mind, will you be okay on your own?" Mitsuru asked in a playful manner. "Don't worry, I'm just getting in a little practice." He smirked, leaving the dorm. The door shut hard behind him, Mitsuru gave a heavy sigh, "This isn't a game, Akihiko." She muttered.

* * *

On her way to school the next morning, Rinako overheard a conversation on the train from two other students. "Did you hear the rumor?"

"Oh, um… something about a bathroom?"

"N-no! Not that one! I meant the one about the first year student! Not only does she not come to school anymore, she just sits and stares all day!"

The girls continued chatting; the first girl seemed terrified. "If her mom tries to talk to her, she only says the same thing over and over again: 'It's coming, it's coming!'"

Rinako wasn't really interested in their story anymore, she could care less about silly rumors like that. She isn't one to gossip herself, though she did enjoy listening in. She walked into her class by herself as the first bell rung. Taking her seat beside Junpei.

Ms. Toriumi stood at the front of the class. "Open your textbooks and we'll take a look at the first novel by… Zenzou Kasai," She started the lecture, pacing back and forth. "Ugh, Why him? I'd rather teach Utsubo Kubota." sighed. Rinako was doing her best to focus so that her notes were accurate. "He became famous as a singer, but he's also produced fine literature… I wonder why it's not in the textbook." Ms. Toriumi flipped through the pages of her teacher's book, "Well, I'll just bring Kubota's book next time." Rinako caught a glimpse of Junpei, he must not like literature much because he was definitely not paying attention. "...Hey, Junpei Iori! Were you listening? Who did I say was my favorite author?" Ms. Toriumi scolded him. Rinako couldn't help but smile at Junpei's surprised look.

"H-huh? U-ummm…" Junpei panicked. "Psst! Who does she like?" He nudged Rinako for an answer. "Real sly, Junpei," Rinako whispered, rolling her eyes. "It's Utsubo Kubota," She said, feeding him the answer.

"Utsubo Kubota," He repeated, loudly. "That's right! So you were listening to me after all!" The teacher said with a smile. "Eheheh… Well, you know how I like to pay attention!" Junpei said before whispering back to Rinako, "Man, you really saved my bacon, Rinako."

"Shh!" Rinako, playfully shushed him so she could go back to taking notes. Though it was hard to concentrate when she could also hear her classmates talk about her giving him the answer. She could feel that she was gaining popularity among her classmates; she just hoped that it wasn't anything bad.


	5. 04 --- A Visitor ---

**4.0: - A Visitor -**

After school there wasn't much for her to do, so Rinako just went back to the dorm. In the lounge, Yukari was sitting on the couch talking to a man that Rinako didn't recognize. "Oh, she's back." Yukari said, looking at Rinako. "So, this is our new guest… Good evening." The man greeted her and she sat on the couch to join the pair. He looked sophisticated and kind, with long brown hair that was pulled back and glasses. He wore a black turtleneck sweater under a tan blazer. From what Rinako could tell, he was very thin and fairly tall. "My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the chairman of the board for your school," he said introducing himself, shaking Rinako's hand.

"'Ikutsuki'... Hard to say, isn't it?" He smiled at her, "that's why I don't like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes. I apologize about the confusion regarding your accommodations. However, it may take a while longer before you receive the proper room assignment. Is there anything you'd like to ask?" Rinako had plenty of questions, and they all ran from her mouth a little faster than she could actually talk.

"Why did you come here? Who else lives here? What went wrong with my original dorm room? Did it mess with my grades as well? Do the lights always shut off at night? I saw something odd, too…" When Rinako finished she had to take a deep breath and wait for answers.

"My, that's a lot to take in. I came here to welcome you, of course. Speaking of which, where's Mitsuru, Yukari?" he asked.

"She's upstairs." Yukari said. "As diligent as always," the chairman continued, "Although, it doesn't hurt to come down and say hello." He turned his conversation back to Rinako who was still sitting, waiting as patiently as possible. "As for the students in this dorm, there are five: You, Yukari here, Mitsuru… And two boys, A senior named Akihiko Sanada and Minato Arisato, who is in the same grade as you. I hope you all get along." Rinako took some time to digest all the information she was getting. It was strange how she hadn't met the two boys that actually lived at their abode yet. "The original plan was for you to stay in the girl's dormitory, though the building has received some minor damage and the building's manager is still fixing the issue. Some of the girls staying there have been moved to other dormitories as well. And no, they won't affect your grades, haha." Shuji chuckled at that last bit, "Though I understand, grades are certainly important," he reassured her with a smile. Then that smile was replaced with an expression more puzzled than anything.

"Is something wrong, Ikutsuki-san?" Rinako asked, hoping for a more to-the-point answer. "No nothing's wrong, I'm thinking we should have the building manager take a look at the power breaker. Yukari did say that you got here late, and the lights were out? Hmm…" He trailed off in thought. "Well, I'll definitely get them to take a look at the breaker." The puzzled look on his face remained, as Rinako leaned back in her seat. "Now you said that you saw something strange. Like what?" Shuji asked, curiosity getting the better of him. Yukari remained quiet with eyes widening. Though before Rinako could answer, the chairman jumped in, "You were probably just tired. I wouldn't worry about it, it's bad for your complexion, you know." Something just didn't sit well with Rinako about this situation. She remained focused on him, ' _something just isn't right about this. Why did he dodge me? And before I could answer him, too._ ' She thought about the previous nights. Before she was too deep in thought, Shuji spoke up again. "Do you have any other questions?" As if sensing she had more. "No, not really," she said, possibly a bit too firm. ' _It isn't like you would answer me about these anyways.'_ She protested in her head.

"Then I hope you have a successful school year. Now, if you'll excuse me," he said getting up from the chair. "You must be tired from all of the excitement, you should go to bed early." Sleep was the last thing she had on her mind. "As they say, 'the early bird catches the bookworm'!" he smiled, "please forgive the bad pun," he chuckled.

"Pfft." Rinako stifled her own laugh. It really was a terrible pun. Yukari looked to Rinako after left the room, "You'll get used to him." She said.

"I don't mind it," Rinako replied, getting to her feet. "It's good to laugh at bad jokes sometimes. Well, I'll be going upstairs." She decided to head upstairs to bed. However, doubtful of whatever sleep she'll receive, sleep was the only thing she wanted at the moment.

She made her way up the stairs to her dorm room. To her, everyone had been acting so strange. Yukari remained downstairs, and she didn't know where Mr. Ikutsuki went, but it was not out the front door. She had never met the two boys that lived there, and Mitsuru was hiding away in her room. Rinako was alone in the hallway right outside her room, though it felt like she was being watched. She took extra caution in locking the door behind her before changing her clothes and getting in bed. She tossed and turned while laying there, trying hard to get comfortable enough to sleep. Her best bet was to put her headphones on and listen to music. Slowly, the music lulled her to sleep.


	6. 05 --- The Velvet Room ---

**5.0: - The Velvet Room -**

Later, on the restricted floor in the dormitory, Shuji Ikutsuki sat in a lounge chair "Working hard?" he asked looking up from his book. "How's she doing?" he said standing up. Mitsuru turned around in her wheeled desk chair. "She went to bed a little while ago, she's asleep now," she answered looking back to the monitor on the wall. The screen took up almost the whole wall and showed various graphs and video feeds; one in particular showed Rinako asleep in her room. Yukari, who was also in the room, shifted from side to side nervously. "Mr. Chairman, do you think she's-" before Mitsuru could finish her question, Shuji cut her off, "Let's just wait and see for now." He checked the time on his wristwatch. "The Dark Hour is approaching." He stood behind Mitsuru's chair while she went back to the control panel, watching the monitor.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a back alley of Tatsumi port island, a man was sitting on a stoop listening to the radio. "This sucks," he sighed. The music playing was upbeat, but the man tossed the compact radio aside. It continued on with an advertisement for 'Kirijo Electronics'. As the time became midnight, once again the power over all the city went out, even the radio. The moon an eerie, toxic green illuminated the city. The only contrast being the crimson blood that seemed to ooze everywhere and the pitch black shadows of the city buildings. The change in the atmosphere froze people where they stood and transformed them into sleek black coffins that shone in the moonlight. Only the man that sat on the steps was unchanged. "Huh? What gives?!" he looked around frantically. Terrified, a bead of sweat beaded down from his forehead. He stood up, shadows began to surround him, "...what the? What's happening to me?" Darkness began to excrete from his body. Shadows dripped from his eyes, ears, nose and mouth causing him to choke. He clutched his throat as he writhed in pain, gagging and screaming. The shadows crept out of the dark and enveloped him, devouring him until they became one viscous black puddle.

* * *

Back at the dormitory's 4th floor, "Hmm… She's still sleeping." Shuji said, eyes trained on Rinako on the screen. "The Dark Hour occurs every night at midnight, and yet she's still unaffected," He finished, still watching the monitor. "Then, she must be…" Yukari said, standing next to him. "As you can see, she's still human." He added, "Asleep, but still experiencing the dark hour. The only question is if she has the potential, then again, if she didn't they would have preyed on her by now." Shuji looked to her. Yukari shivered as she felt a chill go up her spine. "Scary…" she muttered. "In any case, we should keep monitoring her for a few more days," he said, giving the girls the task. "Yes, sir," Mitsuru replied. "I feel kinda bad, though, spying on her like this…" Yukari said with a tinge of guilt.

In Rinako's room, Rinako felt some voice call to her in her dream. A voice she couldn't place. "...My Lady…" it called, "My Lady, Rinako Matsuryu…" Her imagination had her flying across a black and white checkered tile floor, through a blue door lined with light. The door opened, blinding her; she appeared to be sitting in velveteen blue armchair. The room seemed to be moving. It resembled an elevator; it was a rather large room with five doors, two on each side and one behind where Rinako sat. The door which she had entered. There were large drapes framing the walls, like theater curtains. Two of the doors were covered with large sheets. The floor indicator above the the cage-gate was constantly spinning like a clock, like the elevator was continually going upwards; never stopping. Rinako looked around in awe, finally noticing that she sat across a mysterious old man with large bulging eyes and a really long nose. It reminded Rinako of a beak, but it was definitely a nose. He was sitting on deep blue, pillowed camel-back sofa.

She looked from side to side, taking in everything and saw that they weren't alone. In a matching chair beside her was a boy about the same age as her. He had dark, almost black, hair that covered almost half of his face. ' _It's a shame to cover half, especially with a handsome face._ ' Rinako thought. When he caught her looking, he gave her a small nod catching her by surprise. He had icy blue eyes and was wearing a Gekkoukan High School uniform, like she was. They both faced the man who sat across from them. His head reminded Rinako of a Kappa, bald on top but hair around the base of his head.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," He said, "My name is Igor… I am delighted to make your acquaintance." The old man's voice was gentle, but sounded like a snake. The boy nodded his head to Igor, acknowledging him. "U-umm…" Rinako piped up, "Where exactly are we?" She asked, gesturing to the entire room. "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter…" Igor answered, there was a kind of whimsy to his tone. "Only those who have signed the contract can enter this place." Igor continued, Rinako remembered the strange young boy with the contract when she had first entered the dorm. As soon as she thought of it, two sheets of paper appeared side-by-side on the small coffee table between Igor and the teens. Rinako's signature was on one, while the boy's was on the other. "Henceforth, you two shall be welcome here in the Velvet Room. You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my help to do so. I ask only one thing in return…" He said leaning in closer, "That you abide by the contract, and assume responsibility for your actions and choices you make." It was in that moment that Rinako understood that all the strange happenings were real: the young boy, the eerie vibes, and the strange coffin-like statues. And somehow, she was going to be a part of it.

"I understand," the boy said, echoing Rinako's thoughts. She let her eyes fall to her hands in her lap. "Please, hold on to these." Igor insisted, placing two blue keys before them. Rinako took the key closest to her and clasped it in her hands, while the boy took the other. "There are other residents, that couldn't be here for your arrival. Another time, perhaps." Igor leaned back into the couch, weaving his fingers together before him. "'Til we meet again, My Lady, Young Master," He said. The room faded to dark as Rinako awoke back in her room. Her alarm was going off. She went to hit the button but realized she was clutching the blue key in her hand. Rinako felt that the best way to keep it safe with her was to attach it to a chain and keep it around her neck, as it was barely the length of her thumb. The strange dream weighed heavily on her mind as she got dressed and ready for school. Looking at her clock, she rushed out of her room and to school.


	7. 06 --- Run ---

**6.0: - Run -**

As soon as she got on the train, she tried to catch her breath; it wasn't often that she would be running late. When Rinako got to the school gates, Junpei caught up to her from behind. "Yo, mans, I am so sleepy today." He walked beside her yawning, "In times like these it's best to sleep during class." he said, grinning as he nudged her with a bony elbow as they walked to class together. Rinako smiled, after last night she needed to get her mind off of things. "You ever notice how sometimes taking a nap in class makes you feel more refreshed than sleeping at home?" Junpei asked. "Don't sleep in class, Junpei-kun." Rinako responded with a polite smile. "Whaaaat? Why d'you have to be all serious." he joked, "The feeling is awesome, but… then again I'm screwed later since I didn't hear the lecture." He finished, seeing the other side of the coin as he spoke. "Oh, but today we have classic literature… that means we're stuck with nasty ol' Mr. Edoka." Junpei groaned, making an exasperated face when they reached their classroom. They sat in their seats just before the final bell had rung.

"Ahem… I'm Mr. Edoka. I'll be teaching you classic literature." The teacher said with a grimace. It was the teacher from the other day with the vendor. "I'll be teaching you about good old Japan all year. Some people say classic lit isn't relevant to everyday life, but oh, how they're wrong! The students, the other teachers… Wrong, wrong, wrong! Nobody really understands classic lit…" His lecture just seemed like a rant to Rinako, form what she could gather it was like he didn't get and credit or respect. His voice was very droning and she felt tired; but after scolding Junpei earlier, she didn't want to be a hypocrite. "Hey! Are you listening to me?" Edoka snarled. "Wake up children! Now open your textbooks. First on our syllabus is 'Ise Monogatari'. The origin of japanese literature. It's a very interesting story. You youngsters might call it 'da bomb'." he said looking at the class for a reaction. Rinako resisted the urge to groan out loud. "I can tell you people are 'zoning out'..." Edoka sighed before going on with his lecture.

* * *

After that first class the day went by like a breeze, and Rinako felt smarter for it too. At the end of the day she met up with Yukari at the shoe lockers and they decided to go home together, stopping at the Paulownia Mall first. "Have you came here before?" Yukari asked, Rinako shook her head, ' _When have I had the time to come here?_ ' she thought. "A lot of Gekkoukan students come here after school. There's a karaoke place and a CD shop. Oh, and really great cafe, too!" Yukari said, pointing out all the different places. "There's also a nightclub, but that's kinda not for us yet," Yukari said nervously. ' _Maybe for you._ ' Rinako thought, she liked dancing. She used to take dancing lessons in one of her previous homes, but hasn't since she was a lot younger. Rinako decided not to keep a grudge on Yukari for being weird, ' _it seems like Yukari is trying to make up for it. Either that or she really is babysitting me._ ' She contemplated as Yukari kept on about the different shops. "We should come here again sometime." Rinako said to her. Yukari gave a wide smile, "That would be great."

When they got back to the dorm, Mitsuru greeted them like normal from behind the counter. "Welcome back." It had gotten late in the evening, possibly around eight at night. "The moon is beautiful tonight. It might be nice to read a book by moonlight once in a while." Mitsuru was sitting by the window, book in hand. "It is beautiful, senpai." Rinako agreed, giving her nod. The moon was also full and gigantic, Rinako thought of the consequences of a moon that big. In one of her homes, they had told her not to go out during full moons due to the way it changes people.

She sat down with Yukari on the couch. Yukari began talking about life at the dorm, "There used to be a dorm mother here to do stuff like cooking, but there's just us students here now." She said, "It'd be great to have somebody like that doing stuff for us, don't you think?" Rinako agreed, wondering why they did away with the house-mother. "I mean, I'm not a good cook, and Mitsuru-senpai just doesn't do things like that…" Rinako looked to Mitsuru across the room, who was engrossed in her book. "You know, if you're handy around the kitchen, I bet you could really do something with this place!" Yukari seemed excited. "Too bad I can't cook anything worthwhile." Rinako replied. She only knew how to cook homely comfort foods and stews. "I'm off to my room now," Rinako said. She felt tired, as if being drained of her energy. So she changed and went to bed.

* * *

After the clock struck midnight the atmosphere changed. On the restricted floor, Shuji Ikutsuki walked into the room. "How is she?" he asked. "The same as last night." Mitsuru replied. "Hmm… very interesting." He said thinking aloud. "Even those who have the potential tend to be unstable at first… Memory loss, disorientation, but this subject is rather unique… She hasn't exhibited any of the common symptoms." he continued. "But we're treating her like a guinea pig." Yukari spoke up. "I understand your concern, but it's imperative that we recruit new members," he said trying to convince her. "I heard she was in your class… Wouldn't you be more comfortable with someone from the same grade? A female classmate, at that." Shuji said, still trying to convince Yukari.

"Yeah, I guess… But, still-" She was about to plead against him when a loud beep came from the monitor. An emergency call from outside rang through the room. "Command Room." Mitsuru answered, "Is that you, Akihiko?" Akihiko's voice rang from the speakers, "You're not going to believe this! This thing is huge!" He sounded out of breath. "Unfortunately, I don't have time to talk… It's chasing us. I just wanted to let you know: we're almost there." He said, ending the call. Yukari started to panic, "Does that mean he's bringing that thing here!?" Mitsuru stood up from the console. "Mr. Chairman! Let's suspend our observation for now. We'll prepare for battle!" she said. "R-Right! Be careful!" Shuji said nervously.

Down the stairs, Akihiko and another boy quickly entered the building, slamming the double-doors shut behind them. Akihiko leaned his back against the door, "Agh!" He winced in pain. "Akihiko!" Mitsuru called as she reached the first floor. "I'm alright," he answered, clutching his side. The other boy looked just as nervous as Mitsuru. "Get ready to be surprised… It'll be here any second." he said with a smirk. "This is no time to joke around!" Mitsuru scolded. "It's one of them, Akihiko?" Shuji asked them, the two teen boys nodded their heads in unison. "Yes, but not an ordinary one-" Akihiko tried to explain, but there was a loud bang. Taking Yukari by surprise, "Ahh! What the-!? You've gotta be kidding me!" The whole building shook as the creature slammed onto the building.

Mitsuru assumed control, "Mr. Chairman, please head back to the command room!" she said then turning to Yukari, "Takeba, go upstairs and wake her up! Then, escape out the back." she ordered. "But, what about you three?" Yukari asked in concern for their safety. "We'll stop it here." she confidently answered. Mitsuru then looked at the boys with a smile, "You led it to us, Akihiko, Arisato, so I'm afraid you'll have to fight." Arisato let out a sigh. "Like we had a choice!" Akihiko grimaced. "What are you waiting for, Yukari? Go!" he yelled, rushing her off. "I-I'm going!" she yelled running up the stairs.

* * *

Back inside Rinako's room, she was awoken by a loud noise and felt the room shake. Her ind was still groggy and jumped to ideas. ' _Large moon, earthquake, i'm living near the ocean, I need to get outta here before a tsunami hits!_ ' Rinako's heart was pounding as she quickly got out of bed. She heard another loud noise, "What the-?" she muttered. This time she was more awake, and realized it wasn't a natural disaster but sounded more like a wrecking-ball. She was about to go take a look out of her window when Yukari started banging on her door. "Wake up!" she cried. "I'm already up?" Rinako replied. "Sorry, I'm coming in!" Yukari unlocked Rinako's dorm room door and entered. "Why aren't you in pajamas?" Rinako wondered out loud. "I don't have time to have to get out of here, NOW!" Yukari exclaimed, fear in her eyes. "What's going on?" She asked Yukari, but she didn't answer. "Hurry! Downstairs! We'll leave through the back door!" Yukari said grabbing Rinako's wrist, pulling her towards the door. "Wait! I'm still in my PJ's can I get dressed first?" Rinako pleaded. Yukari looked surprised, "O-Oh, make it quick, we have to go!" Rinako grabbed the closest piece of clothing she could find and put it on; fortunately it was her school uniform. "...Here, take this, just in case." Yukari handed her a long weapon with a blade at the end. "A spear? Oh, it's a Naginata." Rinako said taking a closer look at it, "Wait- just in case of what?" Rinako questioned, but Yukari just grabbed her. "Let's go! Follow me!" She pulled her out of her room and towards the stairs.

As they went downstairs to the dormitory's rear entrance, the loud noises began to quiet. Yukari crept silently to the door, "Alright we should be safe now-" Yukari had a handheld radio on her that went off, beeping loudly. Mitsuru's voice came through, "Takeba, do you read me!?" she asked. "Y-yes! I hear you!" Yukari answered loudly. "Be careful! There's more than one enemy! The one we're fighting isn't the one the boys saw!" Yukari began panicking again, "What!?" Just then there was a loud bang on the other side of the back door. "Ah, l-let's pull back!" Yukari suggested, taking a few steps back. They decided to run back upstairs, making it to the second floor. The sound of glass breaking echoed through the hall. "What was that?" Yukari said stopping in her tracks. There was a thud, then a the sound of crunching glass slowly getting closer. "It's getting closer!" she gasped, "K-keep moving! Hurry!" She pushed Rinako further up the stairs. The crunching sound getting louder and faster.


	8. 07 --- The Summoning ---

**7.0: -The Summoning-**

They ended up running all the way on to the rooftop. Yukari shut the door behind them with a sigh. "The door's locked, I think we're safe for now." She sighed with relief. Just then, there was an ear shattering roar that rang out from the other side of the roof. Rinako looked at the edge, taking a step back. A massive fluid hand rose from behind the safety wall, grabbing ahold of it. Another hand rose from behind the wall with a large blue mask in its hand. Like it was searching for something, it 'looked' around and then stopped at the girls, 'spotting' them. Ten other arms sprang up brandishing razor sharp swords. "You gotta be kidding me!" Yukari yelled as if climbed up onto the roof with them. "It climbed up the wall!?" Yukari was frantic, their backs were against the brick wall on either side of the locked door.

* * *

Akihiko and the others were in the command room after their own encounter, watching the different feeds. "There!" He pointed at the screen, "They're on the roof!" Mitsuru looked at the screen in horror, "That gigantic Shadow… Just what is it we're dealing with!?" She said cupping her hands over her mouth. "Let's go, Mitsuru, Minato!" Akihiko said, they headed towards the door. "Wait!" Shuji stopped the, having them look at the monitor with him.

* * *

On the roof, Yukari was trying to explain things as fast as possible. Staring down the monster that looked like a jumbled up mess of charred limbs with large knives. "That's the thing that attacked this place… we call them Shadows!" she said quickly. Rinako clutched the velvet key under her bow at her neck. "Now I see why you gave me this." She gripped the naginata tighter. "O-Oh yeah… I have to fight…" Yukari stuttered nervously, "I can summon mine… No problem." She pulled the gun from her side and aimed it at her forehead, stunning Rinako. "Yukari! What the hell are you doing!?" Rinako screamed at her as the monster rushed towards her. It blasted some sort of black fireball at her, causing the gun to fly from her hand and skid to Rinako's feet. Rinako felt her heart pounding in her ears, the monster now had Rinako in it's sights.

She picked up the gun, with a feeling of knowing what to do. She put the muzzle of it to the side of her head while still clutching the blue key at her chest, under her bow. The moment the shadow started rushing at her, Rinako felt a surge of power; a blue swirl of wind whipped around her ankles. "Per… so… na." She mouthed pulling the trigger. A flash of white sparks blew from the opposite side of her head. A being appeared before her, speaking to her mind. It's body looked as if it was made from copper or brass speakers and wielded a giant heart shaped harp as a weapon. It had long brown hair that flew around wildly and a red scarf around it's neck.

" _ **I am thou… Thou art I… From the sea of thy soul, I come… I am Orpheus, Master of Strings…**_ "

As it finished speaking to her, it began to cry out. Howling and wailing as it was being ripped apart, hands came from the inside it's mouth and tore Orpheus in half from the inside out. Another being emerged, shrieking. The entire process reflected onto Rinako, affecting her in the same way. She held her head in her hands as she screamed in pain, feeling as though if she herself was being ripped in two, as well. This new creature that sprang forth, didn't greet or speak to Rinako but instead went berserk on the shadow without being commanded to. It was massive in size, wore a long black coat, wielded a long thin sword, and had a cloak made of obelisks chained together. Its face was a metal mask, reminiscent of beak, with piercing red orbs for eyes. It shrieked all while it struck and beat and ripped the giant shadow limb from limb. Crushing the shadow into dust with it's bare hands rather than using its own weapon. It was uncontrollable, feral, and violent. Rinako fell to her knees when it turned to look at her with its crimson eyes. The shadow lie in pieces, unmoving, so the creature faded back into Orpheus with subtle flash of light. The swell of power she felt subsided, and Orpheus faded out of existence with it.

* * *

Mitsuru, Akihiko, Arisato, and Shuji stared at the screen in the command room in shock. "What on earth was that!?" Akihiko said in disbelief. Minato Arisato wasn't as surprised as the other, his power didn't come out as a burst or violence but more calm and collected. Though he thought it was strange that their personas were just different versions of Orpheus; His was blue and male, while hers was red and female.

* * *

Yukari was still on the ground, she got up to her feet. "Is it over?" she asked. Rinako was shook-up and rattled, not wanting to get to feet quite yet; though she had no choice when several smaller shadows appeared before them. There was no escaping them when their only escape route was locked. "It's still moving!" Yukari cried, the smaller shadows formed from the pieces of the giant one from before. One began to head for Yukari, "No… Get away from me!" she yelled, taking a few steps back. Rinako jump to her feet and bolted towards the shadow, slashing its backside with her naginata. She wasn't comfortable summoning Orpheus again, so she kept attacking the shadows with her weapon.

After defeating them, one by one they turned to dust, she felt a surge within her making her stronger. The monsters were gone with the wind. Yukari was safe, but Rinako felt exhausted. She lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground. She fainted from the stress. Yukari rushed to her side, "Are you okay!? Come on…!" she panicked, "Please, can you hear me!? Answer me!" Yukari kept calling to Rinako, shaking her as she lay there motionless.


End file.
